Before it’s too late
Pakistan’s radicalization is now a threat to its society and the region. Whilst General Zia ul Haq will be remembered for institutionalizing extremism, most…
The Spectacular Rise Of TLP And The Challenges Ahead
Even without a wider platform or broad agenda to achieve victory in the polls, groups such as TLP are poised to exploit the grievances…
Junaid Hafeez’s Death Sentence Is A Stark Reminder Of Broken Justice System
Junaid Hafeez, a young scholar who has suffered six years of solitary confinement has been sentenced to death on a dubious blasphemy case. To…
Raza Rumi says that Pakistani electronic media promoted extremism
Raza Rumi’s take on how media in Pakistan has promoted extremism. He asserts that the attitudes prevalent in social media is similar to that…
Why is our education system failing? Know more in this video
Pakistan’s educational system is often discussed with the idea that education can be a tool against extremism and terrorism. However, this seems to have…
Dr Anita Weiss talks about her recent book – Know more in this video
Dr Anita Weiss – professor at the University of Oregon speaks about her association with Pakistan. She visited Pakistan first time in January 1978…
Raza Rumi says Pakistan do have external threats but real threat is internal terrorist organizations
Raza Rumi’s analysis on terrorism in Pakistan and why it still persists. He asserts that managing security threats inside Pakistan is more important than…
The warning signs are here — is anyone listening?
November 4, 2018: The warning signs are here — is anyone listening? Asia Bibi, a poor Christian farm worker, wrongfully accused of blasphemy was…
Mainstreaming extremism in electoral arena is dangerous
July 8, 2018: Mainstreaming extremism in electoral arena is dangerous The forthcoming elections in 2018 are mired in plethora of controversies; and this does…
The cost of launching and appeasing bigots is way too high
May 13, 2018: The cost of launching and appeasing bigots is way too high That the country’s Interior Minister, who is tasked with internal…
On India, Pakistan, politics and religious extremism
Recorded in April 2018 when I was invited by graduate students at Kennedy School for a talk. …
2017: Instability, manufactured crises and surrender
The foregoing year was tumultuous to say the least. Pakistan’s ruling elites – elected and unelected – reinforced old patterns of governance. After ten…
Islamist protests are a tried and tested way to bring change in government in Pakistan
November 26, 2017: Islamist protests are a tried and tested way to bring change in government in Pakistan (The Print) Saturday was a day of…
Regime change — the final act?
It seems that the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) PMLN has entered the final round of its power struggle. With its party head…
Mixing politics with religion continues unabated
For nearly a fortnight, a motley group of clerics and their supporters have caused a blockade of Islamabad – the capital of a nuclear…
The state may be hedging that mainstreaming JuD will wean its cadres away from militancy
September, 2017: The state may be hedging that mainstreaming JuD will wean its cadres away from militancy (The Print) In the fourth of a four-part…
Media portrayals of Muslims fuel xenophobia
Scholars who undertook a study on how Western media covers terrorism have confirmed what we had known for some time. The news media wield…
To protect Pakistanis, reframe security policy
Image credits: Naseer Ahmed/Reuters Pakistan’s treatment of its minorities is unenviable to say the least. It is ironic that a country created to protect…
Pakistan’s radicalisation problem begins at school
In 2010, Pakistan’s Parliament devolved education as well as the powers to set school curricula to the provinces. Many of us heralded this change,…
Taseer will live as an icon for a sane, just Pakistan
Salmaan Taseer, businessman, publisher and Governor of Pakistan’s largest Province, was killed by his bodyguard a zealot who like his supporters thought that Taseer had…